Sonoma County Supervisors Reject Sales Tax Measure For Housing

SANTA ROSA, CA — The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Tuesday decided against putting a half-cent housing recovery sales tax measure on the Nov. 6 ballot. The half-cent transactions and use tax in only unincorporated Sonoma County was estimated to generate $7.3 million annually.

The tax measure was intended to spur new housing development. The unincorporated area lost more than 2,200 homes in the October wildfires.

The results of a June poll of 600 likely voters in the unincorporated area showed the tax measure would not get the two-thirds approval to pass.

Initial support of the measure ranged between 43 and 51 percent. Sonoma County Community Development Commission staff said a principal objection was about the amount of the tax, and residents said they could not afford it.

Support for a quarter-cent tax was around 45 percent.

The Board of Supervisors earlier this year considered putting a $300-million bond measure on the November ballot. The money would have subsidized the construction of thousands of homes, but there was opposition
from business and agriculture leaders in the county.

The Santa Rosa City Council plans to put a city-only 26-year bond measure for affordable housing on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The Board of Supervisors also Tuesday afternoon declared a Homeless State of Emergency in Sonoma County. If approved and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown it could provide $12 million in one-time funding from the state's Homeless Emergency Aid Program.

By Bay City News Service

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